Oscars producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are pulling out the musical stops for this year’s telecast. They’ve already booked Adele to sing the nominated theme from Skyfall for the first time live, have Norah Jones singing the nominated “Everybody Needs A Best Friend” from Ted and are planning a tribute to musical films of the past decade. They’ve now announced that Barbra Streisand will perform at the Oscars for the first time in 36 years. The two-time Oscar-winner and three-time nominee last sang on the show in 1977, performing “Evergreen,” the love theme from A Star Is Born, which went on to win the Oscar that same night. No word yet on what her “very special performance” on February 24 will entail. Here’s the release:

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Two-time Academy Award® winner Barbra Streisand, who has sung on the Oscars only once before, will perform on the upcoming Oscar® telecast on February 24. Streisand last sang the love theme from “A Star Is Born” on the March 28, 1977 show, winning the Best Original Song Oscar for “Evergreen” that same night.

“In an evening that celebrates the artistry of movies and music,” said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, “how could the telecast be complete without Barbra Streisand? We are honored that she has agreed to do a very special performance on this year’s Oscars, her first time singing on the show in 36 years.”

Streisand won her first Oscar for Best Actress in “Funny Girl” (1968), and was nominated again in 1973 for her lead performance in “The Way We Were.” She was also nominated for producing the Best Picture nominee “The Prince of Tides” (1991), which she also directed, and for co-writing the original song “I Finally Found Someone” from “The Mirror Has Two Faces” (1996).

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, February 24, at the Dolby Theatre™ at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

yup. if there were 18-49 year-olds clamoring to see barbra, “the guilt trip” would have been it hit. it was a flop. i get that adele, norah, and barbra are all talented singers, but not all 3 are still relevant to the viewing audience they’re hoping to attract (or relevant to this years crop of movies).

Your right. One older performer on the show is going to send the kiddies running in droves. By the way i hope your already in therapy because you are going to have a hell of a time getting older #afraidofdying

The next Oscar show announcement will be that all the presenters and winners will sing live all of their speeches. This would, indeed, most probably shorten the show to an almost tolerable length. I get all tingly just thinking about the way people will sing out Harvey’s name… just for starters.

I’m sure BJS is going to sing “Through the Eyes of Love/The Way We Were” mashup she did on her tour.

No matter what anyone thinks of Barbra and her talent, her remarkable stamina to stay exclusive and current has risen her far and above all of her peers. Who, with the exception of Tony Bennett, in the many legions of contemporaries throughout the decades is still in the game?

“Through the Eyes of Love/The Way We Were” seems the most likely. She also sang it at the Marvin Hamlisch memorial in NYC prior to her tour. That’s why I hope it is something different. Its the 45 anniversary of the film “Funny Girl” where she won her Oscar. Something from “Gypsy” to prove that she can still do it would be nice.

I love the comments about being irrelevant. You’re name will most likely never be published in history. Now, let’s talk irrelevant! The lady is one of the best selling females in history and she is still going strong at 70! We should all be so lucky at that age.

In 2009, Streisand’s album Love is the Answer debuted on Billboard’s charts at #1, which placed her in the record books as the only artist to have a number one album in each of the last five decades—the 60s through the 00s!

Love is the Answer’s number one status also tied Ms. Streisand with The Beatles for most albums reaching top ten chart status (behind the Rolling Stones and Frank Sinatra).

Barbra Streisand’s place in the history books of the recording industry is solid. She definitely wins in the category of longevity and span of career.

As of 2009 she has released some 63 albums, which break down into the following categories:

•39 studio and live albums
•14 soundtrack and cast albums
•6 “hits” albums of mostly previously released material
•3 miscellaneous albums (the Harold Arlen album and Barbra’s two “Highlights” albums).
The Billboard 200 list, published weekly by Billboard Magazine, ranks the 200 highest-selling albums based solely on sales in the United States.

Here are a few impressive facts (* as of October 2009, after her last CD was released):

Top Ten Abums
•Streisand has a total of 30 Top Ten albums to her credit since 1963.
•Streisand is tied at #3 with the Beatles in the Top Ten Albums category (following the Rolling Stones with 36, and Sinatra with 33).
•Barbra Streisand has had albums reach the Top 10 (or better) in every decade since the 1960s
•Streisand has the widest span (46 years) between first and latest Top 10 albums of any female recording artist.
•Streisand holds the record for most Top 10 albums of any female recording artist.
•Barbra’s 30 Top Ten albums are: The Barbra Streisand Album, The Second Barbra Streisand Album, The Third Album, Funny Girl Broadway Cast, People, My Name is Barbra, My Name is Barbra Two, Color Me Barbra, Je m’appelle Barbra, Stoney End, The Way We Were, Funny Lady, A Star is Born, Superman, Greatest Hits 2, Wet, Guilty, Memories, Yentl, Broadway Album, One Voice, Till I Loved You, Back to Broadway, The Concert, Higher Ground, A Love Like Ours, The Movie Album, Guilty Pleasures, Live 2006, and Love is the Answer.
Streisand’s Number One Albums
Barbra Streisand has nine number one albums. Madonna is closing in on Streisand’s record, however. Madonna achieved her seventh #1 album in 2008 when she released Hard Candy.

•1964 People
•1974 The Way We Were
•1977 A Star Is Born Soundtrack
•1979 Barbra Streisand’s Greatest Hits, Volume 2
•1980 Guilty
•1986 The Broadway Album
•1993 Back to Broadway
•1997 Higher Ground
•2009 Love is the Answer
It’s also interesting to note that Streisand owns the unique distinction of having the longest span between number one albums—45 years (Sept. 1964 to Sept. 2009). Madonna is #2 on that list: she has 23 years between her number one albums (Feb. 1985 to April 2008).